Breast pump

Abstract

When milk is expressed using a breast pump, milk residue is left on a surface of a breast pump funnel ( 13 ). The present invention relates to a breast pump with a vibrating means ( 30 ) which is configured to induce the breast pump to vibrate to promote the flow of residual milk on a surface of the funnel ( 13 ) to flow to a milk collecting vessel ( 14 ). The invention also relates to a method of collecting milk residue on a surface of a funnel for a breast pump by vibrating the breast pump after milk has been expressed from a user's breast.

The invention claimed is: 
     
       1. A breast pump comprising a main body, a funnel, a vacuum pump unit to generate a vacuum and a vibrating means, wherein the vibrating means is configured to induce the main body and funnel to vibrate to promote the flow of residual milk on a surface of the funnel to flow to a milk collecting vessel, characterized in that the vibrating means is configured to vibrate following operation of the vacuum pump unit to express milk, wherein the vibrating means comprises an electrically driven vibrating element, the vacuum pump unit comprises a pump motor, and wherein the vibrating means comprises an electromagnet which is operable to act on a drive shaft of the pump motor to unbalance the pump motor when the electromagnet is operated so that the pump motor is induced to vibrate. 
     
     
       2. The breast pump of  claim 1 , wherein the vibrating means is actuated by a switch, and wherein the switch alternately actuates the vibrating means or the vacuum pump unit. 
     
     
       3. The breast pump of  claim 1 , further comprising a fluid passageway in the main body extending between the funnel and the milk collecting vessel. 
     
     
       4. The breast pump of  claim 1 , wherein a control unit is configured to operate the vibrating means after the vacuum pump unit has been operated for a predetermined length of time. 
     
     
       5. The breast pump of  claim 1 , wherein a control unit is configured to operate the vibrating means in response to a signal that the vacuum pump unit has stopped.